04-07-2025
Acclaimed '90s Singer-Songwriter Makes Bold Political Statement With Surprise Album Release
Acclaimed '90s Singer-Songwriter Makes Bold Political Statement With Surprise Album Release originally appeared on Parade.
is celebrating the Fourth of July with a bang!
The acclaimed singer-songwriter dropped a surprise release, Ben Folds Live with the National Symphony Orchestra, recorded at his sold-out concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Friday, July 4.
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A few months after the concert, Folds publicly resigned from his position as the first-ever artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) following 's decision to take over the Kennedy Center.
Folds spent eight years as the National Symphony Orchestra's artistic advisor, but opted to resign at 1:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 12, 2023—exactly one minute after Trump's regime change at the Kennedy Center took place.
'I had my statement up by 2:01,' Folds said in an interview with , nationally syndicated radio host at WFPK-FM Louisville. 'The takeover was at 2. I wanted no part of what was coming.'
'We weren't using the orchestra as props,' Folds added. 'We were challenging them to bring new music to life, while giving the orchestra a one-size-fits-all role. Our experimentation was a beacon for other orchestras throughout the private sector.'
Ben Folds Live with the National Symphony Orchestra serves as a document of Folds' time at the Kennedy Center working with the National Symphony Orchestra and includes such old favorites as 'Still Fighting It,' reworked with a full orchestral introduction.
'It works because it's not pretending to be something else,' Folds said. 'It's using the orchestra as it should be used. To elevate, not decorate.'
The album includes a guest appearance by Folds' old friend on the duet 'You Don't Know Me,' as well as the song 'Capable of Anything,' with a bridge orchestrated by Jherek Bischoff, which Folds has called a warning shot.
'We're all capable of terrible things,' Folds said. 'But we're also capable of doing better. That's the choice.'
In the wake of what's happened at the Kennedy Center, Folds said Ben Folds Live with the National Symphony Orchestra takes on added weight and importance.'This album suddenly now feels much bigger,' Folds said. 'I knew we were making something special with the NSO. I didn't know it'd be a time capsule of the last moment before it all got torn down.
'I still believe there's more good than not,' he added. 'But you must work for it. You have to say something. Especially now.'
Folds announced the release of the album on Instagram, much to the support of his fans.
'You made the right choice at the right time. Until Trump is gone, the arts aren't safe. Can't wait to hear the new album!' one wrote.
However, some also questioned the move.
'Brother, I wish you well. But, this is a rather cliche move. Could have been a stronger and more effectual [sic] voice had you stayed. Now you're just another artist stomping off.'
Acclaimed '90s Singer-Songwriter Makes Bold Political Statement With Surprise Album Release first appeared on Parade on Jul 4, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
